Mexico 0 - 2 USA

The teams: Morning all. Mexico are unchanged from the 1-1 draw with Italy, but the US have made four changes. Gregg Berhalter, Pablo Mastroeni, Eddie Lewis and Josh Wolff are in; Frankie Hejduk (suspended), Jeff Agoos (injured), Clint Mathis and Ernie Stewart are out.

The anthems: Very pleasant, neither of them being that British dirge.

1 min: And we're off. If I manage to get through the whole 90 minutes without mentioning Old El Paso or using phrases like "free strike attempt from the eight-meter disc", I'll be doing well.

3 min: First corner of the game goes to Mexico, and it's hearts-in-the-mouths time for the States as Carmona takes the ball on the byline, twists and sends in a looping cross which is nearly converted by Borguetti. It's neither here nor there, however, because the ref's blown up for a goal kick.

4 min: It's all Mexico in the opening exchanges, and it's all down the right wing.

8 min: GOAL Mexico 0 - 1 USA. Here we are for another shock? The States cross the halfway line for the first time in the match, Reyna pelting down the right wing. He makes the byline and cuts the ball back; it's deflected into the path of Brian McBride who, with Perez in the Mexican goal totally stranded, sidefoots powerfully into the net. That's one soccer football point to no score!

10 min: Mexico retain possession in an attempt to regain their composure.

13 min: The States are quite happy to sit back and let Mexico knock it around the centre circle, but they nearly pay when Morales picks the ball up wide on the left, cuts inside across the face of the box and sends a powerful low shot just to the left of Friedel's goal. Hannah Pok has an exam at 2.30 this afternoon. I'm sure I'll not be the only person wishing you good luck, Hannah.

16 min: The US cross the halfway line for the second time in the match, and there's more trouble afoot for Mexico. Donavan is brought down by Marquez while running at pace through the middle. He's lucky to escape without a booking; the free-kick is wasted by Reyna.

19 min: The States are getting a bit of ball-time now, making Mexico run about for a bit. Apologies to everyone for getting the score wrong earlier, by the way. I've corrected it now, so thanks for pointing it out. I'm only human, a mass of insecurities and contradictions made flesh.

22 min: We're on the back burner at the moment. Ilan Caron is still convinced I've got the score wrong. "The USA leading? This is absurd. A country that completely doesn't appreciate soccer shouldn't be allowed to get this far. When Tiger Woods was asked about the World Cup, his answer was: 'Not familiar with it. I've never been asked to participate.' For this alone, the US team should start all games with a deficit of two football points."

26 min: Flag! Eddie Pope is yellow-marked for contact infringement.

28 min: McBride nearly latches on to a long sideline handpass from Lewis in the Mexican zone, but the offensive play is snuffed out by Vidrio.

30 min: Rodriguez nearly sends Blanco away down the left wing, but the States push up and he's caught offside. Mexico need to get their act together, as they've not really looked dangerous since the goal.

33 min: Mexico's first sortie into the US box for quite a while ends limply, as Torrado's cross from the right is easily cleared by O'Brien.

35 min: Friedel recreates the sort of form Liverpool fans will remember him fondly for, as he punches weakly straight to the feet of Borguetti, who is free on the penalty spot. The keeper atones for his error by tipping away Borguetti's violent return at the last.

36 min: And then, down the other end, Wolff is played onside by Marquez. But standing on the free-strike-attempt eight-meter disc, he targets the sphere straight at Mexican netminder Perez. Nobody's wishing Hannah Pok any luck for her exam.

44 min: Borguetti finds some space down the right but there's nobody in the box to get on the end of his cross. Which does rather beg the question: why didn't he have a pop himself? Seven good-luck messages already for Hannah Pok, although as Jonathan Westwood points out, she won't need it as she'll have no doubt diligently undertaken a thorough programme of revision.

First period shutdown: The US are worth their one soccer point advantage at the 50 percent stage, but can they hold out after the directional switcharound? We'll find out soon, but now it's time for the half-time show. It's time for me to have a luncheon hour, so grab me a dog and a root beer for sippin' on your way back from the can, will ya? Good luck messages for Hannah have hit the 20 mark, by the way.

46 min: OK, time to show the States a bit of respect. They've got a damn sight further than Scotland, after all. Mercado has replaced Vidrio, by the way.

47 min: Flag! Mastroeni is put on report for a charging transgression. This respect thing hasn't started well: Dom Ellis hopes the Mexicans can improve their cross-border sorties and send the US into fourth-quarter recession.

48 min: McBride pushes Luna over on the edge of the box. Blanco stands over the free-kick and blasts the ball hopelessly at the US wall. Maybe he should have tried to bunny-hop over it.

49 min: Flag! Wolff procrastinates over a sideline handpass and is ref-charged for clock abuse.

51 min: Luna whips in a wicked free-kick from the right wing. Friedel misjudges the flight of the ball, getting under it a tad, and can only push the ball onto the bar and out for a corner. From the corner there's an almighty scramble which is finally put out for another corner. Flag! Berhalter for manhandling an offensive player, the sort of challenge you'd see in proper football with helmets and all that.

54 min: Berhalter really is trying it on. He clearly punches the ball in the US area and is lucky to escape without giving away a penalty.

56 min: Mexico are piling forwards. If Borguetti had eyebrows like Liam Gallagher he'd have headed an equaliser, but he misses Torrado's fierce shot-cum-cross by a whisker.

59 min: Earnie Stewart, he of the mis-spelt first name, comes on from Josh Wollf, which is the sort of name only an American jock would have. It's not the most "American" footballer's name of all time, though: Shep Messing still holds that award.

62 min: Flag! Kicking violation along the face of the US zone by O'Brien. Luna's free-kick is high and, like George Bush, far too far to the right.

64 min: GOAL Mexico 0 - 2 USA. Two soccer points to no score! Eddie Lewis makes a cross-pitch play from the left zone, finding Landon Donovan alone in the danger area. He top-bodies the sphere into the score bag, and Mexico have a double-negative stat!

66 min: Hernandez, who must have come on for someone or other at some point (sorry), goes down in the box and is booked for simulation (that's Fifa-speak, not American).

69 min: Flag! Blanco booked for a tantrum.

71 min: Perez miskicks wildly to give away a corner. From the angle, Lewis swivel-kicks against the stanchion. If that had gone in, a place in the semis of the Summer Soccer Kickabout would have surely been theirs. Nick Walsh opines: "With such a narrow lead and the clock running down surely the USA will be bringing on a closing pitcher any minute."

74 min: Mexico aren't creating much at the moment; the US have taken the sting out of the game. Time for respect again, I think: the States deserve their lead at present and are making the Mexicans look very ordinary indeed.

76 min: Stewart fires in a shot from nearly 40 yards. It's wide, but the space the States are getting in the centre of the pitch is amazing at present. If only there was an organist who could play a few verses of Take Me Out To The Ball Game.

78 min: Time out. McBride goes off to be replaced by Coventry success story Cobi Jones. Mexicans take water. Hannah Pok thanks everyone for wishing her luck.

79 min: Jones is sent flying by an unacceptable sliding tackle from Garcia Aspe. Flag! On report!

83 min: Luna is taken off by paramedics. Within a minute he's back on. Friedel is flagged for an unofficial time out.

84 min: The States have removed the sting from this game; they're in total control. Donovan is scythed down by Carmona; from the free-kick they win a corner.

86 min: Blanco holds the ball up on the right, but holds his hands out in frustration as if to ask where the hell his support is.

88 min: Powerplay to US! Marquez is sin-binned for the remainder for - there's no other way to put this - kicking Cobi Jones up the arse.

89 min: The US are closing this one out. Their fans - and there are plenty in the stadium - have started to sing. Altogether now: Take me out to the ball game, Take me out with the crowd, Buy me some peanuts and Crackerjacks, I don't care if I never never get back, Let me root, root root for the home team, If they don't win it's a shame, For it's one, two, three strikes you're out at the old ball game!

90 min: Five minutes of added time to be played.

90 min +2: Mastroeni goes off, Llamosa comes on.

90 min +4: Should have been a third soccer point, but Jones's wingplay is wasted when Donovan, free in the zone with only Perez to beat, kicks less accurately than a Norwood in a Super Bowl.

End whistle: Mexico 0 - 2 USA. It's a berth in the last eight of the World Series for the States, and you can't say these jocks haven't deserved it after a superb offensive display. Germany await: there'll be a hell of a lot of towel-flicking in the locker room tonight. Actually, despite my tedious riffing, this needs to be said: the US have been worthy winners today. And many apologies to Beau Giles from San Francisco, who has sent me an email with the subject heading: Dude, you're totally harshing my buzz, man.